SAKINA YUSUF KHAN visits the dargah of Nizamuddin Auliya’s mother in Delhi and is overwhelmed by the calm and spirit of onenessI drive past this gali every day on my way to work, and have often stared at the board which reads ‘Mai Ki Mazaar’. “Who is this Mai?” I wondered. One day, I pointed it out to my husband who’s better informed about Delhi than me. “Don’t you know, it’s the shrine of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s mother,” he told me. I was taken by surprise for I would have expected the mother to have been buried in the same complex as her son and not so far away in an obscure little gali in Adchini, south Delhi. But this is where Zulekha Bibi, fondly called Mai Sahiba, lived and died. Buried beside her are her daughter Jannat Bibi and granddaughter Zainab Bibi.A young widow, Mai Sahiba brought up her children in abject poverty, earning a living by weaving. To give her son the best education, she migrated to Delhi (from Badayun in Uttar Pradesh), a centre of Islamic learning in the 13th century. The family was poor and had to often go without food. Whenever there was nothing to eat in the house, she would say, “Nizam, today we are guests of Allah.” Continuous fasting took a toll on her health; she did not live to see her son’s glory. Despite an exalted lineage, Zulekha Bibi endured suffering with fortitude and she remained engrossed in prayer. According to Nizamuddin Auliya, when she prayed, she seemed to be in direct communion with God.So, here I am, on a Thursday, standing before the shrine of a saint whose stature is comparable to that of Khwaja Garib Nawaz, at least among woman sages of India. Thursdays are special days at dargahs and I want to catch the action — the phool, the chaddar, niyaaz and fatiha.But there is none of it here. Navigating the narrow bylane, I find myself standing in a deserted courtyard. The tomb stands there before me quiet and majestic. Soon, I am admiring the architecture; quite impressive. The ornate silver doors add to the grandeur. There are just two women devotees sitting there lost in prayer. The sense of calm is all-pervading. It compels you to look inward. I sit there for a while. It is as if time just stands still and there is not a worry in the world. My reverie is broken by the muezzin’s call for the asar (early evening) prayers from the freshly-renovated mosque in the complex.“Unlike others, this dargah comes alive on Wednesdays,” Sanaullah, the Imam, tells me. “This has been the tradition here.” Before the maghrib or sunset prayers, there is dua and fatiha, followed by langar or free food. The mazaar is then teeming with ziyareens or seekers who come from far and near to make a wish. Devotees believe that whatever they ask for here will be granted. “Koi khali haath nahin jata. Log rote huye aate hain aur haste huye jaate hain” — No one goes back empty handed; they come here dejected, but go back fulfilled,” says Sanaullah.Nizamuddin Auliya is quoted in Siyar-ul Aulia, saying, anyone who comes here four Wednesdays consecutively, then on the fifth Wednesday, Mai Sahiba herself waits for him to grant his wish. On another occasion, the saint is said to have told devotees, “Whatever you’ve failed to get from me, ask Mai Sahiba and it shall be granted.”“The best part about this dargah is that women can go right inside to offer aqidat or obeisance, something we can’t do at the dargahs of male saints,” says Rozi from Madangir, a nearby colony. What about men? Can they go inside considering it’s a woman peer’s tomb? “There are no restrictions on men, they can go where they want,” she says. Rozi has been coming here for years. “Yeh bahut sakoon ki jagah hai, (it’s a place for peace) so I come here very often.”I spot another devotee — a 20- something with a petal pink complexion touching up her makeup. Now confident, she goes back to chanting ‘Allah ho Akbar’ (God is great) on her tasbeeh or rosary. I approach her gingerly; she looks up and smiles. Encouraged, I ask her about her faith in Mai Sahiba, and she says, “Four years ago, I was a bundle of nerves, I had severe palpitations and restlessness, then someone directed me to Mai Sahiba, I found solace at her feet and have been coming here ever since.”Z A Bhutto, a Unani doctor, is another of Mai’s devouts. “Dene wala toh Allah hai, (God is the real benefactor). But these saints are closer to Him than ordinary mortals. Since, I started coming here, business has been booming. Uparwale ka bahut karam hai, (God has been very kind).”Rakesh Sharma, a young photographer in a green T-shirt, his head reverentially covered with a handkerchief, is busy circumambulating the tomb, chanting something under his breath. “I come here to feel good. You visit your elders to take their blessing. The same way, I come here for Mai Sahiba’s blessing,” he says.As I am preparing to leave, I find many turbaned gentlemen walking in with boxes of mithai and eatables. I ask the Imam sahib what are they here for. “For many years now, this group which include Sikhs, Jains, Hindus and others, congregates here every Thursday. They meditate for some time, feast on goodies and then disperse,” he tells me. I walk up to one of them to find out more. A businessman from the neighbourhood, he says, “Ours is a multi-faith, multi-cultural group. We believe this is a place of God; we come here to connect with the Divine. The sense of Oneness is palpable. This is real Indutva at Mai Sahiba’s feet. sakina.khan@timesgroup.com

Nizamuddin Auliya DargahIt’s a must on every seeker’s itinerary. Of the Sufi saints of Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin is one of the most revered and his shrine is always full of visitors. Thursday is the day when fatiha (prayers for the saint) is offered by devotees at all shrines.Nizamuddin Auliya’s dargah is particularly busy, especially for the evening prayer, after which qawwalis are sung. This is the best time to visit the dargah and listen to Sufi music. The area also offers inexpensive Mughlai food.

The Jama MasjidIt is the biggest mosque in Delhi. Built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 1656, it stands 10 metres above the level of the city, the elevation achieved by building on a natural hillock. The mosque can be visited at any time from morning till late evening except when prayers are on. Friday afternoon is best avoided because of the Jumma prayers. Those wearing shorts have to slip into a lungi (wraparound skirt) before entering the mosque.Getting ThereAdchini is in south Delhi and the closest landmark is Qutub Minar, about 4 km away. The place is easily accessible by autorikshaws and buses. If you are travelling from Rajiv Chowk (Connaught Place), you could also take the yellow line Metro Rail and get down at Hauz Khas station. The nearest railway station is Hazrat Nizamuddin, 11 km away. Adchini is 16 km away from the Indira Gandhi International Airport.Delhi, being the capital of India is well-connected to all major cities of the country by air, road and rail.

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